Virat Kohli is not sitting idle in London. With the 2027 ODI World Cup already in his sights, he had a rigorous preparation before his upcoming assignment with India—an ODI series in Australia starting Sunday in Perth.
To prepare for both the ODI series in Australia and the distant 2027 ODI World Cup, the former Indian captain has been undergoing intense training sessions in London. After the IPL 2025 season ended, Kohli continued these meticulous workouts during his break.
Dinesh Karthik, Kohli’s former RCB and India teammate, noted in a social media video that Kohli has been training every week in pursuit of World Cup readiness, despite the tournament being still two years away. Kohli would be 39 when the tournament is played in Africa in late 2027.
“In London, he was training during this big layoff that he’s had after a long time in his life,” Karthik said. “And I also know he was practicing cricket easily, two to three sessions a week,” said Karthik.
Last year, Kohli started the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour at the same venue with a century before his series tapered off, ending with one of his poorest returns in a contest overseas.
While both Kohli and Karthik are set to return to action after months without competitive matches, there is speculation about their roles in the ODI squad. This comes as Shubman Gill steps in as the 50-over captain for the upcoming Australia tour.
